


Home Sweet Home

by Introvertia



Series: 13 Days of Halloween [12]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 13 Days of Halloween, AxE, Blood and Injury, Domestic Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Moving In Together, Murder, Nail Bat, Original Character Death(s), Prompt Fic, Shotgun, Spooky, Unamed Evil, Violence, gratuitous kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertia/pseuds/Introvertia
Summary: Steve and Billy move in together to a cabin by the lake. After a very long day they're ready to relax and sit by the fire. The chilly October evening takes a dark turn when an eerie sound slices through the otherwise silent night and the boys find themselves fighting for their lives.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: 13 Days of Halloween [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995811
Comments: 21
Kudos: 56





	Home Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the bodacious Gothyringwald's 13 Days of Halloween Prompt List.
> 
> Prompt 12: oooOOOooo
> 
> This is the 12th of 13 tales. The stories may be read independently or as a serial.
> 
> Please check the tags of each story as the content will vary.

The Morning of October 30th, 1986

**Part 1**

**Moving Day**

Steve woke up to the sound of Billy’s alarm clock and squeezed Billy closer.

“No.” Steve whined.

“Get off me, you octopus.” Billy’s voice was thick with sleep. He reached out and smacked his alarm clock, Steve was bear hugging him from behind. “Steve, C’mon.” Billy griped and tried to sit up. The pull-out bed they were sharing squeaked and groaned under their weight when Billy attempted to roll forward. “Steve.” Billy tried to sound menacing but it was no use, a soft husky laugh escaped his lips, “You’re gonna to make me late.” Billy felt their kitten pounce on his pillow. “How did you get out of your box?” Billy picked up Samhain by his scruff and plopped it on Steve’s head.

“Ack!” Steve released Billy and reached up catching hold of Samhain, who frisked out of his hands and clumsily attacked his hair.

“Feed that hellion.” Billy got out of bed and shivered, “It’s moving day, that means it’s going to be a long fucking day.” He turned on the lamp and turned and slapped Steve’s ass. “Hey,” Steve turned over on his back, Billy leaned over kissed him, pausing to rub his prickly scruff into his boyfriend’s face.

First he spanks me then he kisses me… I’ll feed the cat.” Steve mumbled, his eyes shut and a smile on his pink lips, “Why’s he keeping your hours?” Steve complained, “It’s four in the morning, why aren’t you in your box?” Steve said to the black fuzzy kitten that was walking across his belly “Billy, we need a bigger box.”

Billy got up and shuffled to the bathroom door and looked over his shoulder, “So get a bigger box from your work.”

“Do you really need to eat now?” Steve asked Samhain, who only stared at him with kitten curiosity.

Ten minutes later Billy was getting dressed and Steve was back in bed. Samhain was curled up tight on Steve’s chest, both of them asleep.Billy set the timer on the fancy coffee maker that Steve had brought to his apartment to start brewing at seven in when Steve would be getting ready to go to work at the Shawnee Hardware Store and Lumber Yard.

He grabbed his backpack and Billy glanced around the apartment, as he pulled on his jacket and put on his gloves, October wasn’t even over yet and it already felt like a December chill had settled over Hawkins. He grabbed his baseball cap and decided it was time to wear something warmer and traded it for a beanie.

Billy was glad he’d found the apartment, it had brought him privacy, escape from Neil and even in a small way brought him Steve Harrington, but he wasn’t going to miss living there. Billy left for work, going down the stairs of his apartment taking two steps at a time, skipping over the board that was loose and the one that sagged every time he stepped on it. He walked down the long drive past his landlords’ place and tried to imagine how they’d feel when he dropped off his key later that night instead of the November rent check, the curiosity was fleeting, he didn’t care how they’d feel, he just knew he was going to feel great.

When Billy reached the edge of the woods that he’d been cutting through for a month now to get to work he looked up at the moon, it was low in the sky line, a thin waning crescent the color of tarnished bronze. He turned on his flashlight, and walked at a quick pace. He kept looking up wondering if he’d see any barn owls overhead, but there were none. He’d miss this walk to work. The woods here no longer unnerved him, the sound of his footsteps being absorbed by the carpet of pine needles that covered the soil mixed with leaves and dying grass made him feel like a ghost, passing safely and unseen. He smiled when he walked past the log where he and Steve had stopped one afternoon to eat cookies and drink milk out of cartons like truant children. He was going to miss this wood and its watchful owls, but he was also excited to be moving to a new place that had its own woods, and a lake, and best of all a place where he and Steve could make a home.

**Part 2**

**Hell is Other People**

Steve filled his thermos with hot coffee. For the second time that morning he grabbed hold of Samhain who was scaling his leg, his little claws pricking Steve’s thigh. “Ouch. So you’re too big for your box huh? How’re you growing so fast?” Steve went to the bag where they kept Samhain’s kitty supplies and pulled out a red collar with a small bell on it. “You’re getting so big so fast.” He cooed as he fastened the collar around the kittens neck, he had to put it on the last notch, it was still loose but not so loose that it would fall off too easily. “You’ll probably take this off before I get home, but if you’re going to have the run of the cabin tonight, we need to be able to track you.” Steve explained as he set Samhain down next to his litter box. Steve looked around Billy’s apartment, it was a quarter of the size of the cabin he and Billy were going to move in roughly twelve hours. Steve hadn’t told his parents that he was going to move into his grandfather’s old cabin on the edge of Lake Jordan yet. He reminded himself that it was _his_ , and it had been since his 18th birthday and if they didn’t like it that was too bad he wasn’t going to ask permission.

Steve drove the short distance to his job at the lumber yard and clocked in at eight o’clock. Not for the first time Steve marveled a the fact that Billy had already been working at the bakery for three hours. “If I ever have a job that starts at five in the morning I will die.” Steve mumbled putting on his utility apron for work. He went out to the yard and started his day.

On his break Steve sat on the picnic bench that was the designated lunch space for staff. He sipped coffee from his thermos and wondered if Billy would pop by, it wasn’t likely though,Billy hated running into people and it was also a very chilly day, he didn’t care for cold weather. Steve ate a cookie shaped like black cat, supplied to him by the owner of the Bountiful Bakery when she’d heard he wasn’t feeling well. The cookies were not only delicious but they reminded him of people he loved, of being so little that he was too short to see over the pastry case and holding his grandfather’s hand, and now they reminded him of Billy too. Smart, sexy, occasionally annoying but always lovable, complicated as hell, Billy fucking Hargrove. Steve heard the side door of the hardware portion of the store open up and out came Danny Fischer.

“Hey. How’s it hanging?” Danny said with a smirk.

“Same as always.” Steve said casually and reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He usually didn’t smoke at work, or often at all but hanging around Billy he’d starting to smoke just a little bit more, although it seemed like Billy was smoking less.

“I didn’t know you smoked too.” Danny said flipping his Zippo lighter before Steve’s eyes to light his cigarette. Steve glanced at him and lit his cigarette from the flame.

“Sometimes.” Steve said. He didn’t know how to tell Danny he didn’t want to talk to him, it wasn’t that Danny was a bad guy, he’d just made a pass at Steve a couple days ago and Steve was all too aware how much it had rankled Billy, he himself hadn’t liked it much either, Danny was odd, in a quiet unsettling way.

“Is your buddy coming by, the real friendly one?” Danny asked.

“Ha. No.” Steve checked his watch wondering if he should cut his lunch short.

“I heard he survived the mall collapse.”

“From who?” Steve looked at Danny, wondering why he was gossiping about Billy.

“My cousins.” Danny shrugged he a ran a hand over his bleach blonde pompadour.

“He did, but listen, he doesn’t like to talk about it, so don’t bring it up if you see him. Okay?” Steve said very seriously.

Danny lit his own cigarette and lifted his eyes watching Steve. “You looking out for him? I heard he was cock of the walk before that, a life guard, a real Don-Juan with the ladies. There’s even rumors he was recruiting people for a cult, you gotta watch out for those types, people that think they know witchcraft, they’re real dangerous.”

Steve exhaled a stream of smoke, “So what do you miss most about Memphis? Did you grow up there?” He wished Danny would stop talking about Billy, and just in general.

“You are protective of him, aren’t you?” Danny laughed.

“Billy doesn’t need my protection.” Steve stood up and flicked his cigarette on the ground.

“You ever go out to the lakes around here?” Danny asked.

Steve frowned, “They’re better in summer. Lover’s Lake is the best for swimming, you can fish there too if that’s your thing.” Steve crumpled up his empty lunch bag and tossed it in the trash.

“What about Lake Jordan?” Danny smiled his sleepy eyes arched like a cat’s, his pale blonde eyelashes were nearly translucent in the cold bright October afternoon light.

“It’s alright, but this time of year it can be dangerous, a lot of deer hunting between now and the end of January. Hunters have been known to shoot people on accident, summer’s fine, but Lover’s Lake is the best.” Steve turned to go back to work.

“You’re not still mad about what happened, are you?” Danny asked in a casual mocking tone.

“I was never mad, but I meant what I said,” Steve lowered his voice, “It’s not gonna happen, ever.”

“Are you sure you’re not just playing hard to get?” Danny took a few steps closer to Steve, keeping his voice down, even though there was no one around to hear them.

“I”m _not_ playing.” Steve turned and walked to the lumber yard.

He hadn’t been mad before that Danny had made a move, but he was now. He also didn’t know why he was asking so much about Lake Jordan, Steve hadn’t told anyone that he owned a cabin out there. He wondered if someone had mentioned the cabin in passing. Danny was new to Hawkins and if there was anything Steve knew about townies, it was that they loved to fill in transplants on any and all local gossip.

Steve was thankful when the day picked up, he was tired from a short night’s sleep but also full of nervous excited energy. Tonight he and Billy were packing up all of Billy’s stuff and spending their first night at the cabin. Steve remembered to get the keys copied. Before he went to the front counter he made sure that Danny wasn’t hanging around near the register. Steve asked Hal, one of the old timers that worked there longer than Steve had been alive if he could make the copies of his keys for him.

Hal took the ring of keys and nodded, “Eight keys, you want one copy of each?”

  
“Yeah, do you have time?”

“Sure, I’ll knock these out in fifteen minutes easy. Benjamin Levy was looking for you, not two minutes ago.”

“Benji?” Steve asked excitedly.

“Yeah, I think he went out to the yard.” Hal said but Steve was already zipping out the back door heading to the lumber yard.

**Part 3**

**Adiós!**

Billy tied up the trash bag with all his clothes in it and dropped it by the door next to his box of of kitchen supplies, that was on top of his box of books. He had a crate of records but no stereo to play them on, next to that was his box of cassettes and his tape deck. He had been packing since he got home at two in the afternoon and it was nearly six, he was hungry but also feeling pleased that he was almost done packing. He didn’t have a lot of stuff. Before the incident of ’85, (before he died and came back) all his spare cash had been spent on maintaining his Camaro, after moving out he had no spare cash because it all went to rent and food. He stuffed his backpack with his three journals (a habit he’d been not quiet but almost required to do by his shrink), and his toiletries.

It wasn’t as stressful as the last time he’d moved out. Moving out of his father house on Cherry Lane had felt frantic, he’d made the decision to go under duress, and it also had felt like he was being exiled for coming back from the dead, and his father made it very clear that he was never going to be welcomed back. He’d even felt guilty for leaving Max on her own, but knew she’d be off to college in just a few short years.

Moving out of his studio apartment on Pine Street felt like he was genuinely improving his life, and he wasn’t just moving _out_ , he was moving _in_ with Steve, his actual real life boyfriend.

Billy heard the sound of Steve bounding up the stairs, he heard the rattle of the broken step and Steve cursing but not slowing his pace. Billy set down a bag of trash and opened the door.

“Hey! I brought pizza, figured we might as well have one last meal here,”

Billy parted his lips to speak but Steve wasn’t done.

“These are yours and I got the label tags for them because I know there’s a lot and so I made like little codes and symbols,” Steve tossed Billy a ring of keys. “So instead of you know writing circuit board, I just drew a little lightning bolt, and for the front door I just put a wrote ENT, for like entrance, and then for the back door I wrote EXT, then there’s the cellar door key that one I drew a little bottle, I mean not that it’s got a wine rack down there but hell, maybe I should make one?”

Billy chuckled looking at the keys that Steve had so carefully labeled listening to him ramble excitedly. “See this one says CP, which stands for Car Port, so you know it’s the key to the garage.”

“What’s DB?” Billy asked.

“Dead Bolt, that works on the front and the back door,” Steve touched the little tag. “Benji came by the yard and he says he wants me to start working for him the first week of January, it probably won’t be a lot of hours, because it’s winter so not a ton of work, but he wants me to do on the job training, um installations, cabinetry and repairs, so I got it! I’m going to be a carpenter’s apprentice!”

Billy nodded looking at Steve, “I told you he’d hire you.”

“Yeah, you did!” Steve was practically bouncing with excitement. “I can’t remember feeling this fucking lucky, this is like,” Steve paused shaking his head, “the best day.” Steve cupped Billy’s face in his hands and kissed him.

Billy smiled, “I knew you’d get it.”

“Okay, uh, should we eat or do you want help packing?” Steve looked around the spartan room.

“I packed.” Billy pointed at the trio of stuffed trash bags and half a dozen large boxes.

“That’s it? That’s everything?” Steve looked around the apartment and saw that it was stripped of all of Billy’s things. It still had the battered brown couch, and scuffed coffee table, the wobbly kitchen table and spindly legged chairs, but all the furniture belonged to the landlord, Steve looked back at Billy possessions boxed and bagged by the door.

“I just need to empty the pantry and the fridge. Do y’mind loading the car? We’ll heat up the pizza when we get there. I wanna get out of here.” Billy, pointed at Samhain who was grooming its paws curled up in Billy’s desk chair on one of Billy’s hoodies, “Sam’s ready.”

“Yeah. Steve nodded, me too.” Steve grabbed a couple boxes and started down the stairs.

Billy locked up his apartment for the last time. He glanced at his melting jack-o-lanter that had been destroyed by the wet weather and decided to leave it to rot at the top of the stairs, just like the landlord had left the apartment, neglected and bordering on derelict. He went down the stairs and handed Samhain to Steve, “Meet me at the end of the drive.” Billy said.

Billy felt positively buoyant as he walked up to his landlord’s mail box and dropped an envelope in. Instead of the usual rent check that ate up nearly seventy percent of his monthly income it contained his apartment key and a note. Billy had written one word on the note of lined sheet:

_Adiós!_

**Part 4**

**Making a House a Home**

When Billy sat in the passenger seat of Steve’s BMW Steve handed him two things, Samhain and a mixed tape. Billy looked at the tape and recognized his own writing, “Did you grab this out of my box?”

“Yeah, Steve said his eyes on the road, “I thought you might want to start keeping some of your tapes in the glove box since you’ll be driving my car some days.”

Billy smirked and nodded, he shoved the tape in the player. Slayer started pouring out of the speakers. Steve gripped the steering wheel and resisted the urge to turn down the volume. Billy chuckled watching Steve’s face, and then turned down the volume to a dull roar. He sat back in his seat keeping close tabs on Samhain.

Steve glanced over at Billy, he was leaned back in his seat, his fingers loosely around Samhain who was attacking the drawstring of Billy’s hoodie. Billy looked good, he looked relaxed. He was wearing a beanie instead of his usual San Diego Padre’s ball cap. Steve wondered if Billy was going to stop hiding his face from the world. The beanie seemed like a step in the right direction. Steve almost mention Danny and all the weird bullshit he’d been spewing at work but held his tongue. Billy looked relaxed and content, the last thing he wanted to do was get him all wound up because Danny was being a jerk. Steve drummed his fingers on the wheel to the music, he decided he wouldn’t let Danny get under his skin, he wouldn’t be working in the lumber yard for much longer, eight weeks tops, and then he’d only have to see Danny when Benji sent him to pick up supplies.

When they arrived at the cabin Steve and Billy made quick work of unpacking the car. Samhain prowled around the first floor of the cabin, his belled collar jingled when he dashed from place to place. Billy took a sack of clothes upstairs and Steve followed with a box and a bag.

“Where should I put my clothes?” Billy looked at the dresser drawers and glanced at the oval mirror above and saw Steve looking at him in the reflection.  
  
“Why don’t you take the top three shelves and I’ll take the bottom three, and we’ll split the armoire, I’ll take the right side.” Steve opened the armoire and hung up his jacket.

Billy nodded and started putting his clothes away, it didn’t feel quite real yet, it felt more like he was starting a vacation, not moving in. Billy walked over and watched as Steve set Billy’s tennis shoes and motorcycle-boots under the bed on the left side, he glanced over at Billy and smiled, “You usually sleep on the left side of the pull out bed, so I thought this could be your side of the bed and your bedside table.” Steve pulled a giant stuffed tiger out of a bag and laughed, “Hey I found Lombardo! He’s going right here.” Steve put the tiger at the foot of the bed and pat its head, he’d won the tiger for Billy playing a carnival game. “Looks good, right?”

“Yeah.” Billy nodded, his throat felt a little tight.

“Are you okay? You’re not, you’re not having second thoughts are you?” Steve rested his hands on Billy’s elbows looking at him.

“No.” Billy shook his head and ran his hand over his head pushing his beanie off, he folded it in his hands. “I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, yeah, me too. Let’s heat up that pizza.” Steve stroked Billy’s back, “C’mon. We don’t have to unpack everything tonight.”

The pair of them went downstairs. Billy put some slices of pizza on a big cast iron pan set it inside the oven. He heard Steve laughing and talking to Samhain, “Where have you been, you’re a kitten not a duster.” Steve walked into the kitchen holding a very dusty kitten. “I think he was exploring under the couch.

Billy furrowed his brow, “Put him in jail.”

“Busted.” Steve said to Samhain.

Steve went upstairs and set up the new taller cardboard box he’d gotten from work, he placed Samhain’s favorite towel and toys in it. Steve set Samhain inside his new kitten kennel and promised he’d come see him after dinner. Steve walked into the kitchen and saw Billy stowing some loaves inside an old bread box.

“Is that the sourdough from your shop?” Steve asked squeezing Billy from behind.

“Yep, and I put your cookies in the jar.” Billy rested his arms on Steve’s.

“Are you going to fatten me up and eat me?” Steve asked resting his chin on Billy’s shoulder.

“Mm, you’d be so tasty.” Billy turned in Steve’s arms and grabbed him tightly, squeezing him like a vice.

Steve laughed and squeezed Billy back, dizzy with joy.

They ate their dinner at the dining room table, quietly working out their plans for the next day. Billy had a mandatory appointment with Dr Owens right after work, there was no way for him to skip out since he was under closer scrutiny after getting into trouble with Officer Callahan. Billy’s psychological well being was paramount to Dr Owens and the people he worked for.

The plan was Steve would drive Billy to work and then sleep in his car till it was time to go into his job. Then Billy would take Steve’s car and drive to his appointment and then come back and wait at the library until Steve was off work.

“We can’t leave Samhain in the box all day.” Billy said, like the concerned parent he was.

“We can put him in the bathroom for the day, he’ll be fine. When he’s bigger we’ll let him run loose when we’re not home.” Steve reached over and picked up Billy’s plate and took it to the sink.

Billy nodded feeling better for having a plan for the next morning. He grabbed his pumpkin and said, “Bring me a knife!” Steve smiled and did as he was bid, he set a knife down with a metal spoon next to Billy on the table.

“I’m going to feed Sam and then I’ll make a fire.”

  
Billy nodded his eyes on his pumpkin deciding what expression he wanted to carve. Billy carved his jack’O’lantern with quiet concentration. He was slowly adjusting to the sound of the woods at night. He heard the hissing breathless call of a barn owl and smiled. Mostly it was just silence, he could hear Steve’s footfall up above, and the sound of his knife cutting through the pumpkin. By the time Billy was donecarving up his jack’O'lantern Steve had a fire going.

Billy set his jack’O’lantern on the mantel next to the ancient dried flower wreath made by Steve’s grandmother and a marble paperweight the size of a baseball. Steve lit a stubby candle and set it inside the pumpkin bringing its golden smile to life. They sat on the couch admiring Billy’s handiwork and enjoying the heat and glow of the fire.

“I put the electric heater next to Sam’s box.” Steve said leaning into Billy. “I don’t think I want to have anyone over for Halloween, or go anywhere… did you want to spend time with Max, or?”

“No.” Billy snorted, “She’ll be with Lucas, and probably the rest of the geeks. When Halloween falls on a Friday night,” Billy smiled, “kid’s go fucking ape shit. They’re gonna nerd it up.”

“So you don’t want to do anything?” Steve asked quietly.

“I think I got it out of my system when we went to the Fall Festival, but you can wear that uniform if you want to dress up, solider.” Billy chuckled his dirty laugh.

“We could have a bonfire by the lake.” Steve said nestling closer to Billy.

Billy nodded and rested his eyes. The problem Billy had with starting his days at half past four in the morning was that at half past nine in the evening his eyes were getting heavy.

“Are you tired babe?” Steve whispered his question.

Billy was about to respond when he heard a long keening sound from outside it sounded close to the cabin, he sat up along with Steve.

“That’s not a coyote.” Steve said just as Billy asked, “Was that a wolf?”

“No.” Steve said.

There was a thud and the unmistakable sound of the BMW’s shocks squeaking. Steve would know that sound anywhere, the last time he’d heard it was when his rear tire had bounced off the edge of the curb. Steve stood up. He felt Billy stand beside him. The two of them walked to the front door. Steve twisted back the deadbolt and opened the front door peering out into the dark night.

**Part 5**

**The Beast**

Steve grabs a flashlight that’s hanging from a hook by the front door and steps out onto the porch, Billy is right behind him. They both peer out across the yard to where Steve’s car is parked in the shadow of the garage. The moon is high, a sliver of a slivery crescent casting the thinnest celestial light.

They can barely make out what they’re seeing. Standing on the hood of Steve’s car is the silhouette of a large dog.

“Is that a wolf?” Steve asks in a whisper as he clicks on his flashlight. The light hits the creature’s eyes that reflect a glowing pale pink, Its wide shaggy head slowly begins to lift, it’s looking right at them, Steve stares seeing heat rising in mist from its form.

“That’s not a wolf.” Billy says.

It tilts its head at the sound of Billy’s whispered words and lifts it higher still. Its head rises and rises and keeps rising until, it is standing on two legs. It leaps in their direction. It clears nearly three yards with ease landing on all four with the softest of thuds, its haunches bent, shoulders high and broad and… then it screams. It does not howl, but screams a gut wrenching sound of fury and pain.

Billy grabs Steve’s shoulder and jerks him back. The beast scrabbles forward, its front paws with claws as long as finger score the first step of the porch.

“Get in!” Billy yells.

Steve grabs the door and swings it as hard as he can, instead of slamming shut it bounces back with terrible force. The beast has bulldozed its way in, it dwarfs the room, it smells of musk, of canine, of sweat and copper. It snarls and gnashed its teeth at Billy and lashes out one of its too long limbs at Steve, its claws slicing into his forearm. Billy leaps back darting to the right putting the couch between himself and the living-nightmare, he can’t believe what he’s seeing yet knows he can’t waste a second pretending it’s not real or hoping he’ll wake up.

Steve stumbles back, slapping his hand over his wound, he looks at Billy, horrified they’ve been divided. Steve grabs one of the chairs by the kitchen table and hurls it at the creature.

Billy flinches as it bats the chair away like it’s nothing, it stands tall on its back legs, its mouth gaping, long amber teeth glistening wetly as it bellows a long guttural cry and moves toward on Steve on its bowed legs.

Billy grabs the poker from the fireplace and swings hard, the short hook of the poker strikes true piecing one of its glittering eyes. Billy takes a second swing screaming wildly. This time the monster catches hold of the iron poker, it’s furred hand smoldering as it grips the iron rod.

“Run Steve! Run!” Billy yells afraid to take his eyes off foul beast.

Steve watch in horror as it jerks the poker from Billy’s hands, throwing him off balance and stumbling over the coffee table falling into the fireplace, Billy rolls up, his jacket singed, he’s still yelling for Steve to run.

Steve darts into the kitchen, he jumps up and grabs the shot gun and the ammo box from their place above the backdoor and runs back to the front room. Billy is still yelling for him to run.

Billy pulls himself up by the mantel of the fire place, the creature is too close, too big. Billy’s hand lands on decorative marble paperweight and he pitches it with all his force, it bounces off the horrid creature’s skull, slowing it for less than a second. Billy reaches desperately for something, for any weapon at hand, and grabs hold of the wreath and smacks the beast across the face with it. It rears up and clawing at its face howling as if in agony, shredding apart the wreath of dried lavender, wolfsbane and herbs. Billy falls back, his shoulder clips the tall bookcase and it rocks violently.

“Get down!” Steve yells and Billy drops.

Steve fires one blast and then a second, the sound makes Billy cringe his jaw snaps shut, he slaps his hands over his ears.

Steve snaps the barrel open, the spent shells slide out the gun powder smoke burns his throat and nose, his fingers are shaking with adrenaline as he struggles to reload.

Billy shouts “Move!” And pulls Steve back as the the injured animal lunges at them.

Steve’s ears are ringing, when Billy yanks him back the ammo box slips out of his grip and the shells go flying, scattering across the wooden floor. Steve drops down and grabs three of the shells, he reaches for a fourth but Billy hauls him up on his feet and they’re running up the stairs. Steve cries out feeling a searing pain in his leg, he twists as he falls being dragged backwards, his skull bounces off a wooden step.

Billy sees Steve being dragged down the stairs, and leaps over him, his hands grab hold of the railings and swings his legs and rabbit kicks the beast as hard as he can in the head. The monster falls back tumbling to the base of the stairs, its claws grasping and scratching at wildly.

Steve gets on is feet and runs up the stairs. Billy grabs him by his shirt pulling at him desperately, “Come on!” Billy yells.

Steve trips and rolls across the floor, he lands kneeling and starts loading the shotgun, “We’re trapped!”

Billy nods and grabs the axe they’d brought up the night before, “Should we jump?” Billy asks turning sharply facing the stairs.

Steve looks at the window, the fall would be roughly twelve feet, they may or may not break an ankle or knee when they land, his mind races as fast as his heart drums in his chest trying to decide what to do.

The whole house falls silent, the only sound is Samhain growling in his box. Billy swallows hard his mouth and throat are dry, his heartbeat his deafening and his ears are still singing from the shotgun blasts. Steve moves into a crouch, his lips parted, he’s panting. Steve looks at Billy and back to the top of the stairs. More silence. Billy touches his index finger shakily to his lips eyes wide. Steve nods once. Aiming at the top of the stairs.

There is more silence… and then it’s there.It’s leapt from the base of the stairs to the top. Billy swings his axe, the blade landing in the side of its neck. Billy jerks it free and swings again, but there’s blood in his eyes. The shotgun blast is some how louder than the first two shots, and Steve fires again, a second explosion of sound and the scent of spent powder pollutes the room. Billy feels the axe get wrenched from his hands, his sense are dulled, he can barely see or hear. “Steve!” He yells desperately and feels a clawed hand grab his throat and the floor vanishes from under his feet and he’s kicking and gasping for air.

Steve flips the shot gun in his hand and swings it down on the creatures skull and hears a crack. It drops Billy as it falls backward and goes thudding down the steps. Billy gasps and coughs, he wipes blood from his eyes and grabs the bat and swings it just in time, catchin the beast as it charges up the stairs again. The nails stick in its chest and it stumbles back, but is relentless. It’s howling and screaming, one second sounding like an animal and then its cries are like that of a raving man. It rushes Steve and takes him down. Steve fires off the last shot and they both go sliding down the stairs.

Billy is horrified as he watches Steve tumbling down tangled with the monster. He leaps down and kicks wildly at the beasts limp body forcing it off of Steve. “Steve!”

Steve shoves the beast away and sits up looking wild eyed, like a cornered hare. He grabs on to Billy. “I’m alright, I’m alright.” He’s shaking violently, they both are.

Billy runs his hand over Steve’s head and looks down at his arm, “You’re bleeding, he looks down at the creature “Is it dead?”

“It’s not moving.” Steve says his voice sounds alien in his ears.

“Let’s get Sam and go.” Billy says pulling at Steve.

Steve shakes his head, “No.” Steve looks around and sees that axe on the stairs behind him, he grabs it and gets up on rubbery legs and stands directly above the creature. “This is our house.”

Steve swings the axe back in a swift arcing motion over his head, and brings it down splitting the front of the creature’s skull. Its body jolts as if it’s been struck by lightning and then falls still, its tongue lolling out of its jaw.

“Fuck you.” Steve says, he drops the axe and sits down hard at the base of the stairs, his legshaving given out from under him. Billy sits down beside him and squeezes him close, presses his lips to Steve’s temple holding onto him.

“Your arms bleeding.” Billy says.

Steve nods shakily, he looks at Billy and touches his face, “Are you okay, there’s so much blood, is this your blood?”

“I don’t know, some of it?” Billy touches the side of his neck where he was clawed and hisses in pain.

They sit there till their hearts are no longer racing and the sweat has cooled on their skin, arms wrapped around one another heads tilted close. Both of them are staring at the thing before them, the man before them.

Sprawled on the floor is the corpse of Danny Fischer, Steve’s now deceased coworker.

********

It’s midnight by the time they’ve finished showering and tending each other’s wounds. Steve had deep cuts on his left forearm and his right calf that needed to be wrapped and a gash on the back of his head from when he was dragged down the stairs, which Billy disinfected but left uncovered. Billy had fared better, with only a stripe of four claw marks on his neck, which Steve cleaned and dressed. They used the medical supplies from Billy’s run in with the law combined with a few things that were in the bathroom for medical emergencies. They were both bruised but miraculously no broken bones.

Billy fed the fire. They both went and stared at Danny’s corpse still sprawled where it had fallen hours earlier. Billy crouched looking at Danny, “I knew I hated this guy for some reason…” Billy muttered. Billy squinted at a wide leather belt that was wrapped around Danny’s waist, it was more like a cummerbund than a belt, he touched it with his finger tips, the fur was crusted and stiff.

“Burn that.” Steve said standing behind him holding Samhain.

Billy nodded, he didn’t know why but it seemed important. He cut it free from Danny’s waist with a pocket knife and tossed it in the fire. He picked up the battered wreath and set it back above the fireplace.

Steve sat down on the couch and gestured for Billy to join him. Billy sat down and they leaned into each other exhausted and dazed. The belt burned steadily giving off green and blue flames. Samhain’s little eyes reflected the firelight as he sat peaceably in Steve’s lap. Billy felt fatigued but also like he wouldn’t sleep for a week, or maybe he would sleep for a year? Steve pressed his temple to Billy’s, “I think you saved my life.”

“We saved each other.” Billy said.

Steve nodded slowly and asked, “What are we going to do with the body?”

**Author's Note:**

> Tomorrow's fic is titled: What Remains? To be posted on 10/31/2020 before midnight PST. It will be rated Explicit for numerous reasons. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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